Subclasses: Artificer

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Artificer

Artificer Subclasses
Artificer Specialist Description
Lapidary Uses magic with gems to augment spells and sight
Reanimator Creates creatures from corpses and quickly heals fallen comrades
Spellbinder Studies an assortment of spells in a flying spellbound book
Villainous Class Option: Cursemonger Hex enemies and imbue magic items with curses
A Song of Ice and Fire: Wisdom Manufactures wildfire, a green, volatile, inflammable liquid

Lapidary

You are a Lapidary, an expert in gems and precious stones. And you use that expertise to harness the innate magics present in gemstones to perform a variety of arcane functions. While the typical spellcaster can use gems for fueling spells as material components or storing spells, you can use a gem to alter a spell's damage type, gain special sight by gazing through it, and imbue yourself with a gemstone's natural durability.

Tool Proficiency

3rd-level Lapidary feature

You gain proficiency with jeweler's tools. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan's tools of your choice.

Lapidary Spells

3rd-level Lapidary feature

You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Lapidary Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.

Lapidary Spells

Artificer Level Spell
3rd chromatic orb, color spray
5th mirror image, shatter
9th daylight, lightning bolt
13th stone shape, stoneskin
17th raise dead, wall of stone

Gem of Wonder

3rd-level Lapidary feature

You form a precious stone and infuse it with artificer magic. You may create a new gem over the course of a short or long rest, whereupon a previously created gem is destroyed. You may use the gem as a spellcasting focus for your artificer spells. When you cast a spell using your gem as the spellcasting focus, your gem can be used as a substitute for up to 1000 gp worth of precious minerals or metals needed for the material components of the spell, if the material components are not consumed.

Your gem's color corresponds to certain damage types and magical senses as noted in the Gem Color table. You decide the color of the gem when you create it and can change the color over the course of a short or long rest. You can also change the color immediately after you cast a spell of 1st level or higher using your gem as a spellcasting focus.

When you cast a spell using your gem as the spellcasting focus, you may change the spell's damage type to another damage type determined by the color of your gem.

Finally, you can use a bonus action on your turn to activate the gem's vision property. You gain certain magical sight while looking through your gem determined by the gem's color. This vision lasts for 1 hour and the range is your normal range of vision. Once you activate this property, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

Gem Color
Color Damage Type Vision
Red Fire You see in normal and magical darkness.
Orange Acid You automatically detect visual illusions and succeed on saving throws against them.
Yellow Lightning You see invisible creatures and objects.
Green Poison You see into the Ethereal Plane.
Blue Cold You see the original form of a shapechanger or a creature that is transformed by magic.
White You see with supreme clarity gaining advantage on Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Color and Cut

5th-level Lapidary feature

Your gem can add to your magic. When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher using your gem as the spellcasting focus, you may unleash magical energy from your gem as a bonus action toward a creature of your choice within 30 feet of you. The target takes 1d10 damage of a damage type determined by the color of your gem. If the color is white, the target instead regains 1d6 hit points.

Gemstone Armor

9th-level Lapidary feature

You can touch a suit of armor with your gem for 1 minute, causing the armor to take on the appearance of the gem and become gemstone armor. If you use this feature again, a previously altered suit of gemstone armor reverts to its normal state. While you wear the gemstone armor, you gain the following benefits in addition to any benefits or curses the armor already bestows:

  • You have an AC of 18 if the armor's normal AC was less than 18.
  • You have resistance to a damage type as determined by the color of your gem when you created the armor. If the color is white, you instead regain 1 additional hit point for each die rolled whenever you roll dice to regain hit points.
  • You have advantage on Constitution saving throws.
  • You are immune to the petrified condition.
  • You can use an action to cast the meld into stone spell. You can do so a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Prism

15h-level Lapidary feature

You can cast the prismatic spray spell without expending a spell slot and without preparing the spell, provided you use your gem as the spellcasting focus. Once you cast the spell with this feature, you can't cast the spell with it again until you finish a long rest.

Precious Component

15th-level Lapidary feature

When you cast a spell using your gem as the spellcasting focus, your gem can now be used as a substitute for up to 1000 gp worth of precious minerals or metals consumed for the material components of the spell. Doing so does not consume the gem.

Reanimator

As a Reanimator, you have discovered techniques to turn deceased bodies and dead tissue into a living thing. While the necromantic art of animating the dead is well established, you have developed a unique process of biology, chemistry, and electricity (with a little magic thrown in for good measure) to revitalize lifeless organs to function again. Your creations are not shambling undead creatures puppeted by magic, but lifeforms with pumping blood and working minds, albeit simple ones. However the end results can look rather messy with some reanimated creatures appearing as normal people with some grievous injury and others being a hodge-podge of different body parts forming a grotesque figure.

Reanimators are seldom celebrated for their work and discoveries. They are viewed as grave robbers controlling profane servants by common folk, and even necromancers are no friend, maligning them as cheap, inefficient imitators. It is not unknown for a mob of people to descend in anger upon a Reanimator and their creature.

Tool Proficiency

3rd-level Reanaimator feature

You gain proficiency with leatherworker's tools. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan's tools of your choice.

Reanimator Spells

3rd-level Reanaimator feature

You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Reanimator Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.

Reanimator Spells

Artificer Level Spell
3rd false life, ray of sickness
5th gentle repose, lesser restoration
9th feign death, revivify
13th aura of life, death ward
17th antilife shell, raise dead

Reanimator's Creature

3rd-level Reanaimator feature

You have crafted a reanimated creature composed of a single corpse or by stitching together a variety of corpses. It is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands. See this creature's game statistics in the reanimated creature stat block. You determine the creature's appearance and whether it has two legs or four; your choice has no effect on its game statistics.

In combat, the reanimated creature shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take one of the actions in its stat block or the Dash, Disengage, Help, Hide, or Search action.


Reanimated Creature

Medium construct, neutral


  • Armor Class 9
  • Hit Points equal the reanimated creature's Constitution modifier + your Intelligence modifier + five times your level in this class
  • Speed 25 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 9 (-1) 16 (+3) 6 (-2) 11 (+0) 3 (-4)

  • Saving Throws Str +6, Con +5
  • Skills Athletics +6
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, poisoned
  • Senses darkvision, 60 ft., passive Perception 10
  • Languages understands the languages you speak

Might of the Master. The following numbers increase by 1 when your proficiency bonus increases by 1: the reanimated creature's skill and saving throw bonuses (above) and the bonuses to hit and damage of its slam attack (below).

Actions (Requires Your Bonus Action)

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + 4 bludgeoning damage.

If the mending spell is cast on it, it regains 2d6 hit points. If it has died within the last hour, you can use your leatherworker's tools as an action to revive it, provided you are within 5 feet of it and you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. The reanimated creature returns to life after 1 minute with all its hit points restored.

At the end of a long rest, you can create a new reanimated creature if you have your leatherworker's tools and enough corpse material with you. If you already have a reanimated creature from this feature, the first one immediately perishes.

Reinvigorate

3rd-level Reanaimator feature

Your study of life and death can restore health to those without it. As an action, you may touch a creature at 0 hit points and restore a number of hit points equal to your artificer level to the creature.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Double Slam

5th-level Reanaimator feature

When you command your reanimated creature to use its slam attack, it may make a second slam attack as a part of that action.

Create Life

9th-level Reanaimator feature

The animate dead spell becomes an artificer spell for, you always have it prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. As an artificer spell, it takes on new limitations and features for you:

  • You may only cast the spell using your leatherworker's tools as the spellcasting focus.
  • You may only target a corpse, but it may be of any creature type provided the creature is comprised of organs and tissue (DM's discretion). The corpse may also be of any size larger than Small, but the creature created by the spell is size Small or Medium (your choice), with the rest of the corpse becoming unusable offal.
  • While a creature created by this spell uses all the other zombie statistics, it is considered a construct instead of undead, has a neutral alignment, loses the Undead Fortitude feature, and gains a bonus equal to your proficiency bonus to its saving throw bonus, bonus to hit, and damage.
  • In combat, a creature created by this spell shares your initiative count, but takes its turn immediately after yours.
  • You may use the same bonus action on your turn to command your reanimated creature and creatures created by this spell and may give a different command to each creature.
  • If the mending spell is cast on a creature created by this spell, it regains 2d6 hit points.
  • Finally, you may cast animate dead without expending a spell slot. Once you do so, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

Return to Life

15th-level Reanaimator feature

You have expanded the ways you can restore health to those dead and gravely injured:

  • Whenever you return a dead creature to life, the creature regains a number of hit points equal to half its hit point maximum and suffers no penalty as a result of coming back from the dead. Also, any spell that returns a creature to life, but doesn't restore body parts, does restore body parts for you as you can instantly manufacture them as a part of casting the spell.
  • Your reanimated creature or any creature created by your animate dead spell can use its action to use your Reinvigorate feature, if you command it to do so. Doing so expends one of your uses of the feature.
  • If you are 0 hit points at the start of you turn, your reanimated creature or one creature created from your animate dead spell (you choose which) may use its reaction to move up to its full movement toward you and use the Reinvigorate feature on you, presuming it is able. If it can not reach you with the reaction, it may continue to use its subsequent actions and reactions to do so until you are no longer at 0 hit points.

Spellbinder

The Spellbinder is focused on studying the nature of magic. And while the crafting of magic items is part of that study, your expertise delves into the arcane and the workings of spells. You strive to master an understanding of how any spell is cast and how to end any spell already taken hold.

Tool Proficiency

3rd-level Spellbinder feature

You gain proficiency with calligrapher's supplies. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan's tools of your choice.

Spellbinder Spells

3rd-level Spellbinder feature

You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Spellbinder Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.

Spellbinder Spells

Artificer Level Spell
3rd detect magic, magic missile
5th magic weapon, Nystul's magic aura
9th nondetection, remove curse
13th arcane eye, Otiluke's resilient sphere
17th Bigby's hand, wall of force

Spellbound Book

3rd-level Spellbinder feature

You create a spellbound book. Whenever you finish a short or long rest and your calligrapher’s supplies are with you, you can magically imbue your deep study of the arcane within a Tiny, nonmagical book on which you write esoteric symbols. Its pages then fill with spell lore, replacing any other writing that may have been in the book. The book is a magic item, and you can use it as a spellcasting focus. If you already have a spellbound book from this feature, the first one loses all its magic properties and writings, returning to its previous state. The book has the following properties:

Scribework. While holding your book, you may cast spells from spell scrolls even if the spell is not from the artificer class, and when casting a spell from a spell scroll of a higher level than you can cast, you add your proficiency bonus to the spellcasting ability check.

Also, when crafting a spell scroll, the spell doesn't need to be one you have prepared or know, but must be of a level you have spell slots for.

Bookcasting. The book is able to fly by flapping its pages. As a bonus action on your turn, you can have the book move up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. If the book is more than 150 feet away from you, it loses all its magic properties and writings. Whenever you cast a spell using your calligrapher's supplies as the spellcasting focus, you can cast it as if you were in the book’s space, but you must use your own senses.

You can do so a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. When casting in this way, the spell needn't be one you have prepared, but must be on the artificer spell list for you.

Spell Study. Your study of spells allows you to learn magic from any source. Choose two spells from any classes to study. A spell you study is on the artificer spell list for you while you have a spellbound book. Each time you gain an odd level in this class, choose one additional spell to study from any class. Any spells you study must be of a level you can prepare.

Spellbinder's Tome. The book is a repository of your magical knowledge and theorizing and can hold more information than a book of its size could normally hold. While you hold the book, you are considered proficient in the Arcana skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.

Magic Fundamentals

5th-level Spellbinder feature

You add your Intelligence modifier and proficiency bonus to the damage you deal with any artificer cantrip and learn two artificer cantrips of your choice which don't count against your number of cantrips known. Whenever you finish a short or long rest, you can replace one of these cantrips with any other artificer cantrip.

Magic Unmade

9th-level Spellbinder feature

Your understanding of spells allows you to easily undo them. You can cast dispel magic without expending a spell slot and without preparing the spell, provided you use calligrapher's supplies as the spellcasting focus. You can do so a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Also, you add your proficiency bonus to the spellcasting ability check for dispel magic, and when you successfully end a spell using dispel magic, you can reuse the dispelled magic to choose to heal yourself or the target of the dispel magic. The chosen target regains a number of hit points equal to 2 times the total level of spells ended.

Diminish/Enhance Magic

15th-level Spellbinder feature

You can use your book to boost or restrict magic. As an action, you activate a 30-foot-radius invisible sphere around your book that moves with it and lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. You choose one of the following effects when activating the sphere. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Diminish. When a creature tries to cast a spell while in the sphere or cast a spell affecting something within the sphere, it must make a spellcasting ability check against your artificer spell save DC. On a success, it can cast the spell as normal. On a failure, if the caster was in the sphere, the spell fails, and if the caster was outside the sphere, the spell has no effect within the sphere.

Enhance. Spells cast in the sphere count as if they were cast at one level higher.

Villainous Class Options

This subclass is from a series of subclasses based on the Villainous Class Options on pg. 96 of the Dungeon Master's Guide.

You can find more Villainous Class Options here.

Villainous Class Option: Cursemonger

Many artificers craft magic objects to aid others, some craft to delve deeper into their understanding of magic, and others craft merely to sell for financial gain. You instead see a grander opportunity: to create an object of desire as the perfect trap to curse some unsuspecting soul. Imbued with malice, cursed items can be an occasional annoyance or an unending source of suffering. You have begun to perfect your art of cursing, merely to sow uncertainty and evil into the world or perhaps as a means to protect yourself and your creations. One thing is certain, as long as at least two creatures exist one will wish harm on the other, and what better way to administer that harm than in the guise of a gift?

Tool Proficiency

3rd-level Cursemonger feature

You gain proficiency with alchemist's supplies. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan's tools of your choice.

Cursemonger Spells

3rd-level Cursemonger feature

You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Curse Monger Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.

Cursemonger Spells
Artificer Level Spell
3rd bane, hex
5th blindness/deafness, Nystul's magic aura
9th bestow curse, remove curse
13th aura of purity, polymorph
17th contagion, greater restoration

Cursed Items

3rd-level Cursemonger feature

You can begin crafting cursed items. You may apply the curse to a nonmagical item over the course of 1 hour by expending a spell slot. Alternatively, you may expend a spell slot (no action required) at any point when you craft a magic item or infuse an item to make the item cursed. An item can only hold one curse.

The function and properties of the curse are up to you, but are limited by the level of spell slot expended and the DM's discretion. The higher the level of spell slot expended, the more powerful the curse can be. See the Curse Power table for examples of curse power at different levels.

A nonmagical cursed item can't gain more power from a spell slot higher than 5th level, but when you apply a curse over the course of making a magic item, the curse can be more powerful (excluding consumable magic items). A curse on a common item or an infused item counts as if the spell slot expended were one higher, one on an uncommon item counts as two higher, one on a rare item counts as three higher, one on a very rare item counts as four higher, and one on a legendary item counts as five higher.

Curse Power
Spell Level Possible Effects
1st The creature gains a skin blemish or a foul odor. or The creature becomes slightly thirsty each time water is mentioned.
2nd The creature becomes worried every stranger is going to steal its gold. or The creature must expend all its movement to stand up from prone.
3rd The creature is frightened of one randomly determined creature type other than its own creature type. or While it rains above the creature, it can never enter shelter and must leave shelter if already there.
4th The creature gains dark vision out to 150 feet, but is blinded in bright light. or Each time the creature regains hit points, the total amount regained is reduced by 1 (but the total regained can never be less than 1).
5th The creature can only breathe water. or The creature has disadvantage on ability checks of your choice.
6th All friendly creatures become indifferent to the creaure. or The creature changes into a random creature of the same creature type it was.
7th The creature becomes grotesque and malformed and has disadvantage on Charisma ability checks and saving throws or The creature is blinded or poisoned.
8th The creature must succeed on a DC 10 ability check to do basic things like walk more than 100 ft. without losing balance or lift something 15 lbs. or more. or The creature has a vulnerability to a damage type of your choice (except bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing).
9th The creature must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw against your artificer spell save DC at the end of each long rest or lose all memories since its last long rest. or A random ability score becomes 4.

When a creature other than you holds the cursed item for 1 minute, it must make a Charisma saving throw versus your artificer spell save DC. On a failure, it automatically attunes to the item. If a creature was already at its maximum for item attunement, it immediately unattunes to one other item at random. If a creature succeeds this saving throw, it is immune to this effect for this cursed item. Any creature may choose to attune to the item normally, even if it has succeeded this saving throw. A creature attuned to a cursed item can't break the attunement except through the remove curse or greater restoration spells or through a special condition you can create when applying the curse. If the item was an infused item, the curse also ends if the infusion ends.

Minor Curse

3rd-level Cursemonger feature

You may administer a smaller, transitory curse. As a bonus action, choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of you. The target is cursed for 1 minute. The curse ends early if the target dies, you die, you are incapacitated, or you curse the same target with this feature again. Choose one of the following options for the curse:

  • Clueless. A cursed target has disadvantage on its first saving throw made against your artificer spells.
  • Exposed. You gain a bonus to weapon attack rolls against the cursed target equal to your Intelligence modifier.
  • Insecure. The cursed target has disadvantage on all contested ability checks versus you.
  • Milky-eyed. You always have at least half cover from the cursed target.
  • Stiff-jointed. The cursed target's movement speed is reduced by one-quarter.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Excruciating Execration

5th-level Cursemonger feature

All creatures cursed by you are more susceptible to your aggressions. Your attacks and spells deal extra damage equal to 1d6 plus your Intelligence modifier to a creature cursed by you. This damage can be your choice of force, necrotic, poison, or psychic damage, and you choose each time you deal the extra damage.

Improved Imprecations

9th-level Cursemonger feature

Your understanding of curses and ability to invoke them has made you a deadlier adversary:

  • A creature cursed by you is always considered in range of your artificer spells of 1st level or higher, and if the spell normally requires you to be able to see the target it doesn't for casting in this way.
  • You may now choose two options when using your Minor Curse against a creature.
  • The extra damage you deal with your Excruciating Execration increases to 2d6 plus your Intelligence modifier.

Cursed Item Adept

15th-level Cursemonger feature

You can use the power of a curse to supply your crafting. If you craft a magic item with a curse that is not consumable, it takes you a quarter of the normal time, and it costs you half as much of the usual gold.

Reverse Affliction

15th-level Cursemonger feature

When you resist a harmful effect, you may reform its harmful essence and send it back to its creator. If a creature you can see forces you to make an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw against magic and you succeed, you may use a reaction to force the creature to make the same saving throw against your artificer spell save DC. The creature suffers the same effects on a success or failure that the magic stipulates. If the magic requires concentration, you can't concentrate on the magic which simply ends at the end of the turn.

A Song of Ice and Fire Subclasses

This subclass is from a series of subclasses based on the culture and world of A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones, but the various locations, people, and cultural touchstones mentioned can easily be reworked to to fit campaigns not set in that world.

You can find more subclasses inspired by A Song of Ice and Fire here.

A Song of Ice and Fire: Wisdom

Wisdoms are pyromancers of the Alchemist's Guild. The guild was once very powerful and influential due to its stores of secret knowledge, the most valuable of which is the ability to produce wildfire. Called "the substance" by Wisdoms, wildfire is a murky green, volatile liquid that combusts into a vibrant green, long-burning conflagration. Only dragonflame, or perhaps the summer sun, burns hotter than it. Much care and learning is required to properly create and handle it.

Tool Proficiency

3rd-level Wisdom feature

You gain proficiency with alchemist's supplies. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan's tools of your choice.

Wisdom Spells

3rd-level Wisdom feature

You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Wisdom Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.

Wisdom Spells

Artificer Level Spell
3rd burning hands, faerie fire
5th flaming sphere, suggestion
9th fireball, glyph of warding
13th Mordenkainen's private sanctum, wall of fire
17th conjure elemental, immolationEE
Variant: Alternative Spells

For players who do not have access to Elemental Evil Player's Companion, the wisdom spell immolation can be replaced with flamestrike.

Verdant Blaze

3rd-level Wisdom feature

You learn the green-flame blade cantrip, and it doesn’t count against your number of cantrips known. The spell's description can be found in the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. When you cast the spell, it's range is 120 feet, you can make a ranged attack with a weapon or alchemist's fire instead of a melee attack with a weapon, and the green fire leaps from the target to a different creature of your choice you can see within 10 feet of it.

In addition, when making attacks with alchemist's fire, you add your proficiency bonus and may use your Intelligence modifier for the attack roll. Also, as an action, you may expend spell slots to create alchemist's fire without needing raw materials. You create one flask's worth of alchemist's fire for each level of spell slot expended, and alchemist's fire created this way burns green.

Pyromancer

5th-level Wisdom feature

You enhance the fire of your green-flame blade to spread further and to more creatures. When you cast the spell, the green fire leaps from the target to two different creatures of your choice you can see within 15 feet of it.

Wildfire Combustion

9th-level Wisdom feature

Your command of wildfire has become masterful and can enhance the fire you create through your spells. When you cast an artificer spell that deals fire damage, you may use a flask of alchemist's fire for your spellcasting focus. When you do so, each creature that takes fire damage from the spell is also affected as if it was hit with alchemist's fire, and the spell ignores resistance to fire. Also, the fire takes on a dark, emerald and jade green hue.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Fire in Your Veins

15th-level Wisdom feature

You have mastered fire and unlocked its secrets that it poses no risk to you, and you can use it to revitalize yourself and others:

  • You are immune to fire damage.
  • When you are subjected to fire damage, you can choose to regain hit points equal to the fire damage dealt. Alternatively, when you deal fire damage to a creature, you can have the creature be immune to the damage and have it regain hit points equal to the fire damage dealt. Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.